Partners Reunited
by BobR
Summary: In which Washu finds a longlost relative and the others come to terms with Mihoshi's past.


Partners Reunited

A Side Story to the Conversations Series

*** Kiyone ***

Detective-Captain Kiyone Makibi was bored.  Bored.  Bored.  Bored.  She sat at her desk and idly poked at the keyboard in front of her as she thought about her 'life' since the accident.  She hadn't been on an active case since she had been 'rehabilitated' as the medics said.  She laughed.  Rebuilt was more like it.  The cybernetic body she now had was good, the best the GP could offer, but it's reflexes were no match for a living body.  Oh sure, it looked almost exactly like her original flesh and blood body, but it weighed almost twice as much and the flexibility of the mechanical limbs left a lot to be desired.  To top it off, the sensors under the synthetic skin were rudimentary at best, and as far as being intimate with someone, male or female, well she just didn't have the proper equipment any more.  But her brain still worked; in fact it was about the only part of her that hadn't been damaged by the radiation.  So she had been given a cybernetic prosthesis, a commendation and a promotion and certified as fit for duty.  Desk duty.

And she hated every minute of it.  She almost envied her ex-partner Mihoshi, still on the active list even though she had suffered major injuries as well.  But Mihoshi's injuries were all to her neural pathways, there was no outward signs of damage on her.  _Lucky.  No, not really. _ Kiyone thought.  She wondered what the blonde had been doing recently.

*** Washu ***

"Yo, Mihoshi!  Can I see you in my lab for a little bit?"  Washu called out to the detective napping out on the deck.

Mihoshi rolled over and looked at the scientist.  She still had trouble thinking of her as a goddess, it just didn't seem to fit.  "You want ME to come into your lab?  But you told me never to go in there again."

"Well, that hasn't stopped you yet, and besides, I want to run a quick scan on your genetic structure and brainwave activity.  You're the only one in the house I haven't set baselines for." 

Mihoshi started to sob.  "But I don' wanna be tied up like Ryoko and Tenchi."

"Oh, don't worry you big baby, I only did that to tease them.  You just have to lie down on the exam table, I make a few passes with a scanner and phftt, you're done.  You don't even have to get undressed."

The tears instantly ceased.  "Do I get a sucker when we're done?  Just like at the doctor's office?"

Washu smacked herself in the forehead.  "Yeah, whatever.  Just come into the lab please."

*** Kiyone ***

Kiyone hadn't tried to contact her ex-partner in over a year.  She really wanted Mihoshi to know that she didn't blame her for what had happened, that it wasn't her fault.  But the last time she'd commed Mihoshi she had broken down, screaming that it was a cruel joke, that Kiyone was dead, she'd killed her herself.  And then she'd cut the comm link.  Kiyone hadn't had the heart, so to speak, to try again.  In fact she hadn't even tried to keep up on what Mihoshi had been up to, it hurt too much.  Maybe it was time to try again.  She called up the detective's recent reports on her terminal and began reading.

*** Washu ***

Sasami knocked on the door to Washu's lab.

"It's open Sasami.  Come in.  I'm in the conference room."

She joined the scientist in an area of the lab that looked like a doctor's consultation office.  Washu had the results of Mihoshi's scans up on her holo laptop.

"Well Washu, have you found out anything about Mihoshi yet?" the young princess asked.

"A little.  The results of the genetic scan aren't complete yet, but the neural scan did find damage."

"Damage?" Sasami asked, getting a worried look on her face.

"Yep.  Consistent with a high-powered stunner at point-blank range.  Fairly recent too, within the last three years.  She's lucky she can still function at all, but there's some strange formations in her brain patterns; that probably explains why she's still even alive.  I'll know more when the genetic scan is complete, but it appears that our Mihoshi is fine as long as she's focused on a task.  If there are too many variables, she starts to lose track and, well you know what happens then."

Just then her holo laptop notified her that the final scan had been analyzed.  Washu called up the results.

"Hmm, this DNA pattern here looks awfully familiar.  Now where have I…  Oh no!  It can't be!"  She quickly entered some commands and brought up two more scans.  She overlay the three and had the computer run a comparison.  The words ** ALL SUBJECTS MATCH TO 90% PROBABILITY ** appeared in the results box.  Washu fainted.

"Washu!" Sasami yelled.  As she ran around the desk to help her friend she glanced at the screen.  The results had finished displaying.

** ALL SUBJECTS MATCH TO 90% PROBABILITY **

SUBJECT: HAKUBI, WASHU: MATCH 100%  - BASELINE SUBJECT

SUBJECT: HAKUBI, RYOKO: MATCH 98% TO BASELINE

SUBJECT:  KURAMITSU, MIHOSHI: MATCH 90% TO BASELINE

** SUBJECTS ARE RELATED AT GENETIC LEVEL **

*** Kiyone ***

_Oh my god! _ Kiyone thought.  _I had no idea that Mihoshi was involved in that mess with Kagato.  And she's living with an ex-pirate, two princesses, two princes and a well-known scientist.  AND she has a more than passing acquaintance with several goddesses.  I don't believe it.  I've got to see this for myself. _

She dialed a number on her terminal that only a few had direct access to.  "Sir, I'd like to request a leave of absence.  I need a break and I haven't had a vacation in almost three years.  Oh, and I'd like a courier ship assigned to me for about a month, I'm going to visit an old friend.  Yes sir, that's who I'm going to go see.  A fast patrol ship?  Oh, I see.  Yes, I understand.  The Yagami is available?  Thank you sir!"  She disconnected and smiled.  She was going to see Mihoshi again and Mihoshi's grandfather approved. 

*** Washu ***

"Little Washu, I don't understand.  What are you trying to tell us?" Tenchi was asking.

Washu had gathered everyone but Mihoshi in the lab to discuss the results of the scans.    Everyone had different reactions to the news.   Tokimi had a look on her face that said she suspected it all along, Ayeka had laughed at the thought that Ryoko and Mihoshi might be related, Ryoko on the other hand, had mimicked her mother.  She had passed out.  Tenchi was just puzzled.  Ayeka sat on the floor next to Ryoko, holding her head up and fanning her face.  She giggled occasionally whenever Ryoko groaned.

"Tenchi, do you remember when I told you that I was married once and had a son?"

Tenchi nodded.

"Well it seems that my son's family has flourished over the years.  Mihoshi is my great to the third power granddaughter.  That's why she's a 90% match to me.  That's also why she's been able to defeat all my security measures.  They've been keyed to my DNA, and of course, she's a match."

"Miss Washu, are you trying to tell us that Ryoko could enter your lab anytime she wanted to as well?" Ayeka wondered.

"Yep, but Ryoko's never been a problem.  Besides, since I scared the living daylights out of her that time, she's avoided this place like the plague."

"But how are we gonna tell Mihoshi?' Sasami wondered.

They all just looked at each other.

*** Kiyone ***

Yagami was two light-days out from Earth and Kiyone wondered how Mihoshi would react to her this time.  Perhaps she should attempt to contact the scientist Washu first, to see what kind of mood her ex-partner was in.  Yes, that's exactly what she would do.  But she'd have to wait until Yagami was a few light-hours out so the locals wouldn't detect her signal, since she didn't know if the scientist had a hyperwave set or not.  Her thoughts wandered back to the accident…

*** Washu ***

"Washu, have you figured out what happened to Mihoshi yet?"  Sasami asked for the fiftieth time.

This time however, Washu had an answer for the princess.  "Sasami, do you remember that story that Mihoshi told us, the one about the 'Ultra Energy Matter'?"

"Yeah, it was kinda silly, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was, but not from Mihoshi's point of view.  I think you'd better go get everyone for this.  Even Mihoshi."

A few minutes later everyone had gathered in the lab's lecture room.  Washu handed out refreshments and they all took their seats.  The redhead stepped up to the podium in the front of the room and tapped for silence.

"As you all know, for the past few days I've been researching our resident GP officer's past.  It's quite interesting.  Did you know that Mihoshi once held the rank of Lieutenant?"

"I did?  Really?"  Mihoshi started clapping.

"Quiet!  Yes you did.  And your official record shows 53 commendations for bravery under fire."

"Little Washu, how did you find all this out?" Tenchi asked.

"I hacked into the GP records section.  It was nothing for a genius like me.  Now, can I continue the story?  Anyway, this all came to an end about three years ago, during the investigation of some stolen high-energy nuclear fuel."

"The Ultra Energy Matter!" announced Sasami.

"Absolutely correct Miss Sasami." Washu said.  "It seems that Mihoshi and her partner Kiyone were assigned to a special investigations unit…"

*** Kiyone ***

Kiyone remembered.  She remembered that witch of a noblewoman that started it all.  She knew that she and Mihoshi were in trouble from the moment that woman entered their office.  Her boyfriend, a local police inspector, had disappeared while investigating the theft of some nuclear fuel.  Normally missing persons were a local matter, but this woman had pull, she had managed to find someone high enough in the GP to assign the case to Special Investigations.  Kiyone didn't recall the woman's name, after so long calling her "the Witch", that's all that she could remember her by.  In fact, aside from herself and Mihoshi, all of the others involved had become simply labels to her.  There was the Witch, the Hijacker, the Inspector and the Mastermind.

*** Washu ***

"See Ayeka, it wasn't you after all.  Mihoshi just gave her your name for her story."  Sasami said to her sister.

"I did?  Why would I do that?" asked the GP officer.

Washu tapped her podium with a gavel that had suddenly appeared.  "Ahem.  May I continue?  Thank you.  Anyway, after some really good detective work, our friend here and her partner managed to track down the person who had been stealing the fuel.  And before you ask Sasami, no it wasn't Ryoko, but she was a female space pirate wannabe who had made a minor reputation for herself."

*** Kiyone ***

Kiyone thought about the approach they had made to the hijacker's bolthole in a small apartment in a seedy neighborhood.   She smiled as she heard Mihoshi grumbling about this being a job for the LOCAL police; she was just loud enough for the Witch to overhear.  That was another thing that bothered the dark haired GP, why had SHE tagged along anyway?  Well, it was their case now and they would have to make the best of it.  Kiyone kept watch as Mihoshi snuck around to a back entrance off an alleyway.  The blonde GP jimmied the door and quietly entered the apartment.  Kiyone warned the Witch to stay outside, and then followed her partner into the dwelling.  

Quickly searching the kitchen area and front room, the two detectives heard the sound of giggling coming from the sleeping area.  Sliding the door to the bedroom open a notch, Kiyone saw a sight that she hadn't expected: the Hijacker and the Inspector were locked in a… well, very amorous embrace.  Just then the Witch decided to make an entrance and all hell broke loose.  She tore into her supposed fiancé and his lover with both fists.  By the time the two GP had got them separated, all three were bloody and bruised.  Kiyone had to admit though, after the thrashing she'd just received the Hijacker was taken into custody quietly.

*** Washu ***

Sasami interrupted the story by raising her hand with a question.  "Excuse me Washu, what happened to the young intern?  The one who made the tea and turned into Pretty Sammy?"

"Sorry honey.  It seems that that's only a character Mihoshi made up, just to fit you into the story.  She probably didn't want you to feel left out.  Am I right Mihoshi?"

"Wha…?  Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.  Could you repeat that?" the blonde looked up from the notepad she was doodling on.

"Never mind. I'll just go on with the tale."

*** Kiyone ***

After a quick recharge of her body's storage batteries, Kiyone checked the ship's chronometer.  She still had fifteen light hours until she was in communications range of the Earth.  She sat back in Yagami's pilot chair and thought about the plan she and Mihoshi had come up with to catch the Mastermind.

It seemed that the Inspector and the Hijacker had crossed paths on a case sometime before and the Inspector had fallen for her, hard.  Kiyone didn't blame him either, not with a girlfriend like the Witch.  The two GP detectives decided to allow the Hijacker to escape, taking the Inspector with her, in the hope that she would lead them to the person behind the thefts.  After putting up a token resistance in the shuttle bay, the "escape" was a success and the tracking unit Kiyone had planted on the shuttle began to transmit.  Boarding the patrol ship Yagami, and once again burdened with the Witch, they began the pursuit.

After several days of fruitless evasive maneuvers, the Hijacker led them to a small orbital weather station over the planet where she had originally been caught.  They called for backup from a GP battle squadron that was awaiting the call, then using the Yagami's stealth mode, they managed to dock with the station without being detected.  As they crept aboard however, they must have tripped some sort of passive alarm because a tranquilizer gas began to fill the docking port.  The last thought on Kiyone's mind before she succumbed was _Oh Shit! _

*** Washu ***

"So after all that work, they still managed to get caught?" Ryoko asked.

"Yep, although the evidence seems to point to the ex-fiancé as the one who tripped the alarm." Washu replied.

"I hope she gets it in the end." This from Ayeka.

"Heh heh.  Princess, your demonic side is showing."

"You want to see my demonic side Ryoko, wait until we go to bed tonight!"

"Now ladies…" Tenchi blushed and tried to calm his wives down.  He needn't have worried; two large flowerpots materialized and fell on the heads of the girls.

"Keep your love life out of my classroom," Washu admonished them.

"But Mom…"

"I said that's enough Ryoko.  Now let me continue…"

*** Kiyone ***

Kiyone sighed mentally.  Ten more light hours and she'd begin trying to contact this Washu person, but until then…

She awoke with a splitting headache.  Opening her eyes, Kiyone found that herself, her partner, the Witch, and the two lovers had been stripped and bound to rings set into the floor of the station's control chamber.  She understood why she, Mihoshi and the Witch were prisoners, but why the other two?  Weren't they working for the Mastermind?  She heard movement behind her and managed to move her head enough that she could see a small, wizened old man working at what looked like a reactor control panel.  He glanced over his shoulder and saw her watching him.  Picking up a small remote control, he smiled.  "Ah, the little insects are waking up at last.  Just in time to watch me complete my plan."

Kiyone kept quiet, knowing her silence would draw out the information she needed.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw her partner working at her bonds.  Mihoshi was trained in escape procedures, so she knew it was only a matter of time.  She just needed to keep the Mastermind talking.  She gave him a questioning look.

"So, you want to know what my plan is, do you.  Since none of us will live much longer, I think I'll tell you.  The government of the planet below us refused to fund my research into planetary radiation shielding.  They said that no one would ever be insane enough to try to poison a whole planet.  I'm going to show them how wrong they were.  All of the high-energy fuel that I've been collecting is going to be dumped into the atmosphere in approximately ten minutes.  Its half-life is half a millennium, so it will be many thousands of years before this ball of dirt is inhabitable again.  Unfortunately, when I vent the reactors, it will also contaminate this station.  Thus, we all die as well."

Kiyone was shocked.  This idiot was certifiable.  Poison an entire planet because his funding was turned down?  That _was_ insane.

"Let me show you."  He pushed a button on the remote and a small portal opened up in the floor, showing a glowing mass below them.  "This is one of the reactor cores that power this station.  I have nine more just as full of fuel, all ready to dump when I push the button.  He saw the look on the detective's face.  "Oh, don't worry your pretty little head.  The portal is shielded by one of my smaller test devices.  No radiation is leaking into here, yet.  But the device isn't big enough to shield us from all ten reactors.  When I release all the fuel, nothing can save us.  Or them.  And it will be a slow death.  Weeks at least, perhaps months.  For them.  For us it will be much quicker, a matter of hours.  Well, I must get back to work.  There are a few small details to take care of in the next… oh six minutes or so."  He turned back to the console, laying the remote down as he did so.

Kiyone felt Mihoshi sidle up next to her and begin to work on her bindings.  Thank God for advanced escape and evasion training.  She'd have to remember to take the course herself next time it was offered.  She felt the ropes loosen and Mihoshi moved onto the next person.  Moments later she heard her partner whisper a quiet "All set" into her ear.  As one, they jumped up and rushed toward the console, Kiyone going for the remote while Mihoshi grabbed the Mastermind.  The others headed for the exit.  They almost made it.  As Kiyone was about to grab the remote, the Mastermind whirled, a neural stunner in his hand.  He put it against Mihoshi's forehead and pulled the trigger.  She went down, probably dead.  But as she fell, she bumped into Kiyone, knocking her across the floor, towards the open portal.  Kiyone teetered on the edge, the fell in.  As she fell, she heard the Mastermind scream "Noooo!" and she smiled, because she knew that her body would cause the core to go critical and release all its energy at once.  And the other reactors would soon follow.  There would be no poisoning, just a bright light in the sky to amuse the children below.  By losing, they had won.

*** Washu ***

"Washu, what's a neural stunner?" Tenchi asked.

"Well Tenchi…" Washu began only to be interrupted by Ryoko.

"I'll answer that Mom," she said in a subdued voice, staring at Mihoshi with a strange look in her golden eyes.  "There are two kinds of stunners Tenchi, the sonic stunners used by most galactic police forces, and neural stunners that were used by the military until they were outlawed.  Sonic stunners are fairly harmless, they produce short-term unconsciousness in the target by using focused sound.  But they have a very short range and are used mostly for crowd control.  Neural stunners use an electrical field to disrupt the synapses in the brain. They have a much longer range and were designed to pacify a large group of beings at once.  They were outlawed centuries ago because if used at close range they could cause permanent brain damage or even death."

The whole group was now looking at the detective, still sitting quietly, still doodling on the notepad.

Ryoko stood up and walked over to the blonde and squeezed her shoulder.  "Oh Mihoshi.  I'm so sorry.  I didn't know."

Mihoshi looked up at her.  "Why, did you do something wrong Ryoko?"

Ryoko shook her head and turned back to Tenchi.  "Remember when I told you that I remembered every thing that Kagato did while in control of my body?  How I was trapped in my mind, knowing everything that was happening but not being able to stop it?"

Tenchi nodded.

"Mihoshi is something like that, right mom?"

"Yes Ryoko.  Her intellect is still there.  She knows exactly what's going on around her and given her training, probably better than most of you do; but she can't process it correctly anymore.  In fact, she was probably awake and aware through the whole escape, she just couldn't let anyone know it.  But she's fine.  As long as she's focused on a task, her GP training takes over, but any thing outside that training…"

Ayeka spoke up.  "Isn't there anything you can do for her Washu?  You are the greatest scientific genius in the universe, and a goddess on top of that.  There must be some way to fix her."

"I'm sorry Ayeka, there's nothing anyone can do.  Mihoshi is well enough to continue as a GP detective and as our friend, but Mihoshi will be… Mihoshi for the rest of her very, very long life.  Besides, because of her rather 'unique' heritage, the damage wasn't as severe as it could've been.  Really, she's fine."

"But how did they all get off the station Washu?" Sasami finally asked.

"Oh, that's easy!" replied Washu in a lighter tone.  "The pirate ran back into the control room and grabbed Mihoshi.  They were all on the Yagami and outward bound when the core reached critical mass.  And because of her selfless act, she and the Inspector were only given probation.  Although he _was_ kicked of the police force."

"So Kiyone really is dead then." Tenchi said.

"No, that's the surprising thing.  The GP task force arrived just as the core blew.  All GP have a locator beacon surgically implanted in them somewhere.  Kiyone's was still sending out a signal and one of the ships recovered what they thought was her body within minutes of the explosion.  When they got her to a medic they found that although her body was dying of acute radiation poisoning, her mind was basically untouched, pretty much just the opposite of Mihoshi's situation.  They immediately put her on life support for the trip home, and once there they transferred her brain to a cybernetic body.  She's now a captain in Investigations."

"So she's still active.  Amazing."  Ryoko said.

"No, she's not active.  Not really.  GP cybernetics are not what you'd call 'cutting edge'.  About all she's fit to fly now is a desk."

Sasami began to jump up and down.  "Did you hear that Mihoshi?  Your friend is still alive.  Kiyone didn't die after all."

"Kiyone?"  Mihoshi looked up from the notepad, tears filling her eyes.  "She's dead.  I killed her.  I didn't mean to.  I bumped into her and she fell and…" Mihoshi started bawling.

Ryoko reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders.  "Mihoshi!  Hey, snap out of it.  Weren't you listening?  Your partner's not dead, Washu found her.  She's still alive."

"Washu found her?  She's alive?" The detective struggled out of Ryoko's grasp and got down on her knees in front of Washu.  "Oh thank you Washu.  I'm so glad you found her and she's still alive.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Uh, yeah.  Whatever."

*****

_It's time, _ thought Kiyone.  She keyed the transmitter.

*****

Washu was sitting on one of her floating cushions wondering whether to try to hunt up Mihoshi's ex-partner in the GP data banks when her communicator began clamoring for attention.  She keyed the screen.

"This is Detective-Captain Kiyone Makibi of the Galaxy Police.  Are you the scientist Washu Hakubi?"

_Well, well.  Speak of the devil… No, wait, that's Ayeka now…_ Washu thought.  "Yes I am, how can I help you Detective Makibi?"

"I'm trying to contact the local GP patrol officer, Detective First Class Mihoshi Kuramitsu.  Do you know where I might find her?"

"Er, I believe she's taking a nap on the porch right now.  But before you talk to her I think you and I had better have a face-to-face.  Where are you?"  Washu asked.

"About 50 AUs out and decelerating.  I'll be in orbit in about two hours local.  Can you provide a beacon?"

"Sure, how's this?"  Washu flipped a switch on her console.

"Perfect," Kiyone said.  "I'll see you in about two hours.  And nice to meet you, Professor Washu."

"Yeah.  We'll have to talk about that too.  See you soon."  Washu cut the connection.  _Just what we need.  Mihoshi, I hope you're ready for this. _

*****

Mihoshi was jarred out of her sleep by the loud beeping of her signal bracelet.  She grabbed her control cube and with a few deft twists was in uniform and in the control cabin of her shuttle.  "Yukinojo, what is it?"

The robot head popped out of the overhead panel.  "It's a GP single officer patrol cruiser, but that's not important right now.  Mihoshi, we're receiving a distress call from a Juraian passenger liner.  Their engines have failed and they are drifting toward this system's primary.  If we can't find a way to stop them, all 6,000 passengers and crew will be incinerated within the next two hours."

"Oh my.  We have to do something.  Let's go!  And what was that about the patrol cruiser?"

Yukinojo's electronic eyes rolled toward the cabin roof and he whistled.  "Oh, nothing…"

Kiyone was three AUs out when Yagami intercepted the Juraian distress call.  "Damn," she said aloud.  "This takes precedence over anything else.  But I haven't piloted an intercept for almost three years.  And my 'body's' reaction time leaves a lot to be desired.  But I've got no choice; I'm a GP officer, I have to try to save those people."

She called Washu again.  "Professor Washu, our meeting will be delayed a bit.  I have to respond to a distress call.  I'll contact you again with a revised ETA when I've finished with this."

"I understand detective.  Good luck."  Washu sent back.  _So that's were Mihoshi disappeared to.  I'll have Ryoko go out in Ryo-ohki to see if they need any help.  I wonder who's in trouble? _

*****

Mihoshi had reached the passenger ship.  When she saw the size of it she knew that there was no way Yukinojo would be able to stop it, but perhaps, yes perhaps she could alter its trajectory enough that it would miss the Sun.  It would be iffy though, the liner out massed her cruiser by a factor of a couple thousand metric tons.  She would have to position Yukinojo just right and use her engines at full MIL power.  It might work; it would probably burn out her engines and leave her stranded though.  She had no choice but to try.

Yukinojo moved up to the bow of the Juraian ship on maneuvering thrusters.  Mihoshi carefully played her controls like a video game.  Just a bit more…  Contact!  "Yukinojo, how solid is the contact?"

"Given that the liner has a standard Juraian wooden hull, I can't guarantee that we'll remain stable in this position.  That wood is awfully slick and too hard for any kind of grappling device.  We'll just have to push and hope for the best Mihoshi."

"Ok, let's do it!"  Mihoshi shoved the throttles to MIL position.  The engines roared with power and the cruiser began to shake violently.

"Yyyukkinojjo, iiss iit wworkkinggg?" Mihoshi managed to ask.

"Yes, but not enough.  We don't have the power.  We aren't going to make it Mihoshi.  We have to back off, the engines are overheating."

"Wweee hhavvveee ttooo kkkeeeeepppp tttrryyyinggg!"

"Mihoshi!  Another GP cruiser has appeared and is positioning itself beside us. We're being hailed."

"Yukinojo, come in.  This is the cruiser Yagami, Detective-Captain Makibi commanding.  Mind if I join you?"

"Kkkkiiiyyonneee, iisss ttthaattt yoouuu?"  Mihoshi gasped.

"Don't worry Mihoshi, we can do this.  Together."

Kiyone positioned her larger cruiser forward of Yukinojo and pushed her thrust to max.  The Juraian ship began to move away from its previous course.  A little bit at first, then faster.  Finally it was enough.  Kiyone pulled back on the throttles, but Yukinojo was still at MIL power.

"Mihoshi!  Cut your thrust!  Mihoshi!"

Yukinojo was trying, but his engines had become so hot that the reaction was self-sustaining.  He couldn't stop until the fuel was exhausted or the engines blew up.

Then it happened.  Yukinojo slipped on the slick hull and plowed full throttle into Yagami.  There was no way to avoid the collision.  The energy release as Yukinojo's engines tore free could be seen on Earth.  In the daytime.

Back in the lab, a red triangle began to glow on Washu's forehead.  "Oh no!"  _Ryoko!  Go!  Go now! _

Ryoko and Ryo-ohki went.

*****

"Ok Kiyone, I have you hooked up to some external sensors, so you now have limited sight and hearing.  The first thing I have to tell you is that Mihoshi is going to be fine, or at least as fine as she'll ever be.  A little rest and she'll be as good as new.  The second is that your mech body was totally trashed when your control cabin was vented to space.  The only thing that survived was your life support module, and it took me hours to extract it from the wreckage.  But now for more good news, both ships are repairable, but it looks like you'll be spending some time with us.  Now for even better news."  Washu put an image up on a screen where Kiyone could see it. "This is a combat android designed here on Earth.  And it's wonderful work, much better than your old body.  Its model number is NK-1125; it's predecessor, NK-1124 had a cat's brain and was very successful.  Still is in fact."  

Washu showed some video footage of a redheaded female android in action.  

"Notice the power, flexibility and speed of the design.  Wonderful.  I'm amazed at what these Earthlings can come up with using such a primitive technology.  In addition, it's much lighter than your old mech body and it's powered by total conversion of matter.  Any thing you consume gets converted to energy.  Anything.  There's almost no waste either, except for some fluid condensation which is stored and can be recycled into the furnace or vented in the, ahem, usual way.  Very efficient.  You'll also have the senses of taste and smell again.  And I've made some modifications of my own.  For instance, the extended sensor package is now internal, instead of a popup external array and the skin sensors are enhanced and capable of generating simulated body heat.  Plus I've added some more personal modifications as well.  This body has simulated sexual organs and for you I've added extra sensitive sensors to certain areas and some other things to mimic a true female body.  Oh, and one final thing.  It doesn't have any built in weapons, but because it's a combat model, it can interface with any Earth weapons system.  I've added the capability to generate a defensive force shield out to twenty-five meters and to control Juraian and GP weapons as well."

If Kiyone had had working tear ducts at the moment, she would have cried with joy.

*****

The End

*****

Author's Notes

This was written because my daughter was disappointed that her favorite character doesn't appear in the Conversations series.  Since that takes place in the OAV continuity (kinda), I told her that I would put Kiyone in it, but it would have to be the Kiyone from the Mihoshi Special.  Let me know what you think.  Does this work or not.  She hasn't read it all yet, but she's seen parts of it.  I refuse to include Nagi though…  Hear that Brooke?  Oh, and there is a walk on by another anime character.  Can you find it?


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